J. Appl. Hort., 4(1):45-46, January-June, 2002
Comparative performance of budding methods in
pecan nut propagation
J.S. Chandel and S.A. Ananda
Department of Pomology, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan- 173230, HP, India
Abstract
An experiment was laid out with four methods of budding performed on eight dates to standardize the best method and time of
budding in pecan. Annular budding was found to be much superior to other methods of budding viz., patch, chip and forkert, as it
registered a significantly higher bud take success and total growth of budded plants. While budding performed on June 30, gave best
result, period from June 30 to July 15 was found optimum time for budding pecan nut under the mid hill conditions of North-Western
Himalayas.
Key words: Pecan, Carya illinoensis, budding methods, propagation
Introduction
Pecan (Carya illinoensis) is one of the most important and
nutritious nut fruit of the world. Although, agroclimatic conditions
of mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu &
Kashmir is quite suitable for its cultivation, yet the area under
pecan plantation is limited at present. The majority of the trees
being grown at present are of seedling origin, which has a long
prebearing age, highly variable nut size and quality. As a result,
at present, the pecan nuts are growing mostly as scattered trees
rather than planned regular plantations. There is a great scope
for the expansion of area under this fruit in the form of regular
plantations in the interiors of Himalayan region, where cultivation
of other perishable fruits is not a paying proposition. The nonavailability of grafted or budded plants due to lack of suitable
propagation techniques is the major constraint in extending the
area under its cultivation in the country.
Although some work has been done on the vegetative propagation
of pecan nut in Himachal Pradesh (Bhardwaj, 1981), but with
very less success. Vegetative propagation through budding has
been reported to give good budtake success in walnut (Ananda
and Bans, 1992). Investigations were, therefore, undertaken with
a view to find out the most suitable budding method and time for
pecan propagation under mid hill conditions of the North-Western
Himalayas.
Materials and methods
An experiment to standardize the method and time of budding in
pecan was laid out in the fruit nursery of Department of Pomology,
Nauni, Solan during 1995-96. Two and half years old seedling
stock of uniform size, about 4 cm in girth, were selected and budded
with scions of commercial cv. Mahan. The budsticks consisted of
current season’s growth having plump buds which were collected
at the time of budding. Four methods of budding, viz., annular,
chip, forkert and patch budding, were performed at 15 days intervals
from May 15 to August 30. The experiment was laid out in
randomized block design with three replications and 25 grafts per
replication. Observations on budtake success were recorded after
three months of budding. The linear and radial growth
measurements were recorded during next dormant season (after
one and half year of budding) and data were statistically analysed.
Table 1. Effect of different methods and dates of budding on budtake success(%) in pecan nut
Methods
Dates
15 May
30 May
15 June
30 June
15 July
30 July
15 August
Annular
22.84
38.70
54.19
82.54
79.46
60.13
32.56
(28.52)
(38.47)
(47.35)
(65.27)
(63.08)
(50.83)
(34.82)
Chip
46.38
16.17
12.67
8.37
3.57
2.96
2.78
(42.36)
(24.12)
(20.88)
(16.85)
(10.94)
(9.80)
(9.63)
Forkert
18.13
28.71
43.08
58.98
52.30
41.36
16.28
(35.73)
(32.39)
(41.03)
(50.13)
(46.32)
(40.05)
(23.81)
Patch
19.81
35.38
56.74
73.78
70.61
49.73
30.74
(37.64)
(36.51)
(48.85)
(59.21)
(57.17)
(44.83)
(33.65)
Mean
24.29
29.86
41.67
55.92
51.48
38.54
20.59
(36.06)
(32.87)
(39.52)
(47.86)
(44.37)
(36.37)
(25.47)
CD(p=0.05)
Methods =1.18
Dates =1.96
Methods x dates =3.06
Fig. in parentheses are angular transformed values
30 August
8.74
(17.15)
1.54
(7.03)
3.44
(10.63)
10.15
(18.53)
5.96
(13.33)
Mean
47.39
(43.18)
11.86
(17.70)
32.78
(35.01)
43.36
(42.04)
46
Chandel and Ananda-Performance of budding methods in pecan nut propagation
Table 2. Effect of different methods and dates of budding on linear growth (cm)
Methods
Dates
15 May
30 May
15 June
30 June
15 July
30 July
15 August
Annular
136.4
132.8
133.8
145.8
141.6
126.3
96.3
Chip
138.6
134.1
126.5
118.9
109.5
94.3
87.8
Forkert
131.5
127.5
123.8
122.5
115.8
103.8
85.8
Patch
134.8
130.9
131.2
138.9
136.7
123.2
92.4
Mean
135.3
131.3
128.8
131.5
125.9
111.9
90.6
CD(p=0.05)
Methods =6.4
Dates =10.7
Methods x Dates
=18.8
Table 3. Effect of different methods and dates of budding on radial growth (cm)
Methods
Dates
15 May
30 May
15 June
30 June
15 July
30 July
15 August
Annular
Chip
Forkert
Patch
Mean
CD(p=0.05)
8.36
8.95
8.20
8.38
8.47
8.32
8.16
7.92
8.26
8.16
Methods =0.16
8.28
7.84
7.38
8.08
7.89
9.04
8.05
7.19
8.45
8.18
Dates =0.22
Results and discussion
Budtake success: Different methods and dates of budding and
their interactions had a significant effect on the per cent budtake
in pecan (Table 1). Among the four methods of budding tried,
annular budding gave the highest budtake of 82.54 per cent on
30 June, followed by 79.46 per cent on 15 July, and an average
of 47.39 per cent from 15 May to 30 August. These findings are
in conformity with the findings of Blondel (1951), who also
obtained higher budtake with annular budding in pecan. Ananda
and Bans (1992) also recorded higher budtake with annular
budding performed during June in walnut. Patch budding
performed on 30 June and 15 July also gave significantly better
budtake success than chip and forkert methods of budding. The
other two methods, chip and forkert budding, gave a poor
performance with an average budtake of 11.86 and 32.78 per cent,
respectively.
Irrespective of the budding method employed, the 30 June
budding with an average of 55.92 per cent, followed by 15 July
with an average of 51.48 per cent budtake appeared to be the
best time for budding in pecan. On these dates, the good budtake
were recorded in annular, patch and forkert methods of budding,
though in chip budding, the highest success was obtained on 15
May. These observations are in agreement with the findings of
Sahrawat (1967), who reported last week of June to be the
optimum time for walnut budding. The higher budtake in JuneJuly budding might be because of optimum temperature and
relative humidity and rapid sap flow in stock and scion, which
favoured the callus formation and healing process.
8.45
7.89
7.06
8.36
7.94
7.36
6.85
6.92
7.28
7.10
Methods x Dates
6.94
5.97
5.86
6.85
6.40
=0.52
30 August
83.7
75.6
77.3
80.5
79.2
Mean
124.6
110.6
111.0
121.1
30 August
Mean
6.31
5.84
5.73
6.25
6.03
7.88
7.44
7.03
7.74
Growth of budded plants: It is evident from the data in Tables
2 and 3 that different methods and dates of budding had a
significant influence on the linear and radial growth of budded
plants. Maximum mean linear (124.6 cm) and radial (7.88 cm)
growth recorded in annular budding, which was significantly
higher than chip and forkert budding and statistically at par with
patch budding.
The budding performed on 15 May resulted in maximum linear
(135.32 cm) and radial (8.47 cm) growth, which was at par with
30 May and 30 June budding but significantly higher than all
other dates of budding. Annular budding performed on 30 June
gave significantly higher linear (145.8 cm) and radial (9.04 cm)
growth, which was followed by same method of budding on 15
July. The better growth attained by annular budded plants may
be attributed to the better graft union due to more contact of the
cambial layers of stock and scion, early bud sprouting and early
initiation of subsequent scion growth.
References
Ananda, S.A. and V.P. Bans, 1992. Comparative performance of different
methods of budding in walnut propagation. Proc. Golden Jubilee
National Seminar on Emerging Trends in Temperate Fruits. 98101.
Bhardwaj, K.N. 1981. Standardization of vegetative propagation
techniques in pecan nut. M. Sc. thesis submitted to HPKV, Palampur.
Blondel, L. 1951. The best method of grafting pecan. Fruits et Prim.,
21:273-274.
Sahrawat, N.S. 1967. Vegetative propagation studies in walnut (Juglans
regia L.). Him. Hort., 8:21-25.